Snow Angels
by Heartsick
Summary: Snow Angels part one - Guerrero introduces Chance to an old friend who can help with a job. But will her personal agenda endager them both? What will Chance do when he discovers her ties to his past?
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

"Well, he's a little more Daniel Craigish than I expected."

She was sitting behind the desk of one of my offices. This one was an independent computer video game programming company. Supposedly. She was wearing her super-geek uniform (indie T – shirt with jeans and Converse, cool square wire rim glasses with chunky plastic on the sides, bare minimal for makeup –she had dubbed it 'ChapstickChic') so that no one looked twice at her when she walked in and out of the building. If they only knew what actually went on here, she often mused.

She had her feet up on the desk. Guerrero was in standing in front of her, with a look on his face that she could only assume was a mixture of amusement and suspense. He was dying to see how this meeting ended.

She looked from him back to the other man in front of her, the man to Guerrero's right.

" You're a little too pretty for a man who gets beaten up on a regular basis."

The man raised his eyebrows and looked at Guerrero. "Did she just call me pretty?" Guerrero shrugged. The man moved his eyes back to her.

"Who are you again?"

Guerrero opened his mouth before she could respond, knowing that her response would be less than cordial.

"Christopher Chance, meet Dru Cordova."

Chance just continued to stare at her, with what she would call an arrogant smirk. Guerrero gestured to the chairs in front of them. "Just sit down, Dude."

Chance sat, legs spread, arms on the armrests of the chair. It was what she called the 'Big Man Stance.'

"Ok, so what is it that we need from Ms. Cordova?"

Guerrero gave him an irritated look. "Don't you guys listen to me? Look, I can get you in with a cover by tonight, no problem. But after that, you're gonna hit a brick wall, Dude. These people are hard to crack, they trust no one. Sure, you can go in there with massive firepower and blow the place apart, but then what? You need information. Dru knows these people, she's like a free ticket to the show."

Chance looked her up and down, from the bright red highlights in her straight brown hair to her pink and black socks with the skulls on them. She waited for him to make a comment like "How is _this _girl gonna get us in _there?" _But no, she thought, he knows better. He's a chameleon, just like me.

Chance looked to Guerrero again. "Since when do we call in temps?"

Of course, this went up her ass sideways.

"Excuse me?" Her feet dropped to the floor. " I'm not a 'temp', thank you very much." She gave Guerrero her best 'WTF' look.

He put his hand up in a gesture of peace. "Chill out Dru, he's just used to working alone." He looked over at Chance. "And you stop trying to push her buttons. I'm telling you, Dude, this thing can go a lot smoother with her involved."

She looked from one man to another. Chance spoke first.

"So Guerrero says you have a stake in this. What might that be?"

The muscles in Guerrero's jaw started working slightly. She noticed it out of the corner of her eye, keeping her gaze on Chance.

"Let's just say I jump at any opportunity to fuck with Irena Vetlanskaya."

"Why, did she steal your boyfriend in High School or something?"

Guerrero started to intervene but Dru spoke first.

"If you want my help, meet me tomorrow night in the Onyx Bar in the Iberian Hotel. There is private party in the rooftop penthouse. 9pm, black tie. Have G email me the details of your cover."

Chance looked at her quizzically. "G?"

She gestured to Guerrero.

Chance looked at Guerrero and laughed. "G? She calls you G?"

Guerrero gave him a look that spelled danger. "Yes, and she's the ONLY one who does."

The men rose from their chairs. Normally Guerrero and Dru would have exchanged a hug and kiss on the cheek, but this was business. Dru rose to see them out. She spoke to Guerrero. "I hope he's as good as you say he is."

Chance turned to her. "I could say the same about you."

2

Outside of the building, Chance stopped short and looked at Guerrero. "She's impatient, and she has an attitude problem. She's arrogant."

Guerrero couldn't help but laugh. "You just described yourself, Dude."

During the ride back, Chance thought about this job. Eastern European organized crime families were notorious for drugs and prostitution. They were also infamous for violence tailored to send a message. Chance wondered how this woman in the fake office had ties to the Ukanov crime family. He knew that he could ask Guerrero, and he would get the manila folder answer. What he wanted was the whole story, whatever was behind her eyes when he asked her what she had against Irena Vetlanskaya. He'd stirred the pot and it had hinted at boiling over. He stretched against the seat of the car, and let his mind wander where a man's mind always did. She was pretty cute, at least. Not a knockout by any means, that computer geek thing had never really been his cup of tea. But she had some curves going for her, especially around the hips and ass, where he liked them the most. Her huge brown eyes behind those glasses, high cheekbones and full lips didn't hurt either. Maybe with her hair swept up tomorrow night, and whatever kind of dress a quirky gamer girl considered 'black tie', she'd at least look sexy on his arm tomorrow night. He didn't' know why he cared, he was there to save a girl and do a job. But still, a hottie on your arm is never a bad thing.

Dru returned to her desk and sat. "I just met Christopher Chance," she thought, "not at all what I expected."

She wasn't sure why, exactly. She supposed she thought that he'd be a bit more….rugged? Brutish? She couldn't find the right word. But the handsome and sarcastic man she had just met was certainly not the Christopher Chance she had pictured in her head.

Dru knew quite a bit about Chance. She knew that it would surprise him how much she knew. Some of it she had learned from Guerrero. But only what he deemed right for her to know. G was fiercely loyal. He would no sooner divulge Chance's secrets to her than he would hers to Chance.

Other things she had gotten from Babtiste, and others still from the Old Man. Dru knew that Guerrero couldn't have told Chance that she knew his 'family,' and that once they had been her family, too. She also knew that the things she knew were things he wouldn't want her to know. Even more important, were the things she knew that HE didn't even know. Like the truth about the murder of Catherine Walters.

But that was too heavy to think about now. Tomorrow night she would be going back into the lion's den. That world held so much fear, so much anger. She'd done many dangerous jobs in her lifetime, dealt with many downright evil people, people who were capable of laughing with you one minute and popping our eyes out with a fish fork the next. She wasn't afraid of being hurt, of dying. She was afraid of the past, and being able to keep it down long enough to get this job done.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

As Chance got out of the hired car and walked into the Iberian Hotel, he couldn't push down a feeling of unease. He hated depending on anyone for anything, especially someone he'd only met yesterday. But Guerrero had been adamant.

"Dude, I'm telling you this is the way to go on this one. Dru is your man. "

'Didn't look like a man to me,' Chance thought, and wondered if that was part of the problem. Chance loved being around women. He loved bantering with them, watching them move, pushing their buttons until they wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time. But for the most part, that was where it ended. Working with them inevitably caused problems.

Chance entered the luxurious façade of the Onyx Bar and looked around. He'd been there before once or twice, and the place wasn't exactly his cup of tea. Still, it was all a game to role-play, and he'd dressed the part. Hartmarx custom made black suit, white dress shirt, $200.00 tie. He remembered Dru's comment about Daniel Craig and chuckled to himself. He did feel a little James Bond-ish.

He made a sweeping glance around the room, and although there was no shortage of females, he did not see her. 'Well,' he thought, 'I guess I have time for a quick drink.'

Dru looked down at her watch – 9:05. 'Is he coming or what?'

G had stopped by her office earlier in the afternoon, opting to bring her the file with Chance's cover in person. After the hug and kiss that was missing from their last meeting, they sat together and Dru expressed her concerns.

"Seriously, what is his deal? Is he gonna go all cowboy on me? You know what this means to me G."

Guerrero leaned forward and raised his eyebrows. "Dru, how long have we known each other?"

She smiled and gave him a playful push on the shoulder. "Well it certainly feels like forever."

"Then you know that I know how much this means to you. If you two can play nice and put your ego's aside, this situation can be beneficial for both of you."

Dru gave him a look of mock innocence. "Ego? Me?"

Dru looked at her watch again. Was he seriously going to stand her up? It was time. The bartender was returning with her drink and she handed him her credit card. She sipped the Ketel One and cranberry, twirling a finger lazily in her hair. She caught herself and stopped. Bad habit. 'Well,' she thought, I can certainly handle this one alone.' Yet a small feeling in the pit of her stomach was slightly disagreeing. The bartender returned with her credit card. "Thank you, Ms. Cordova."

Chance was standing at the end of the bar, and turned to look toward the bartender. 'Cordova? That's way too much of a coincidence.' The bartender was talking to a woman seated with her back to Chance, and he'd already glanced in her direction. Long brown hair hung below her shoulders and settled on her bare back. Her black brocade dress was a halter cut, and from the back view it was form fitting. It was floor length, but due to the angle of her bar stool and the way her legs were crossed, he could see that it was slit up to her mid-thigh. Low enough to be black tie but high enough to ooze sex appeal. Her shoes were red heels, open toe in the front. Chance raised an eyebrow. He walked slowly up behind her, and took a seat next to her. "Good evening Ms. Cordova."

She finished taking a sip of her drink and spun slowly in the chair to face him. It was Dru, no doubt about it. But it certainly wasn't the Dru he'd met yesterday afternoon. Her makeup was impeccable, not the Revlon drugstore job he'd seen on her yesterday, and her hair no longer had the bright red streaks in it. She was wearing platinum and diamond studs, with a necklace and bracelet to match. The dress was indeed form fitting, the halter plunging in the front only low enough to show a hint of her small but well formed cleavage. He found himself looking forward to seeing her stand up.

"Mr. Chance, you decided to show up." She took another sip of her drink and let her eyes slip down his front only briefly, as if making sure he was dressed properly. "Not bad, I suppose you'll fit in."

Chance looked her up and down, this time for her benefit. "Well you did say black tie. I'm glad you were able to pick something up."

Dru laughed a sarcastic sort of laugh that rubbed him like sandpaper. "Who were you expecting Chance, Maggie Dylan?"

"Who?"

"Maggie Dylan – owner of EvilWire Incorporated…the woman you met in the office yesterday?"

Chance remembered the sign on the door. 'Maggie Dylan must be Dru's cover at the office,' he thought. 'I really should pay more attention to Guerrero.'

As if on cue, Chance heard a voice inside his head. "Dude, give her the bud already."

Chance reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his wallet, as if checking for cash. He pulled out a small discreet ear bud, returned the wallet and took Dru's hand. He raised it to his lips and kissed it. "Present from your pal." He slipped the bud into her palm.

He watched as Dru expertly ran her hand through her hair as if primping, inserting the bud in her ear in one fluid movement. "Detection proof, G?"

Guerrero's disembodied voice answered inside of her head. "They can scan you for frequencies all night, dude. The only way they're gonna find that thing is if they're diggin' in your ear."

"That's my boy."

Chance resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "So can we get this show on the road or what?"

Dru gave him a look that was meant to make him feel stupid. "It doesn't work that way. I told you, this was a private party. I meant ultra private. You don't even get into the penthouse elevator without an escort. "

"Ok…so where is our escort?"

Now she was giving him the blank stare. He hated the blank stare.

"I used my credit card to buy that drink for a reason. Wherever Ukanov is, his people monitor the building electronically as well as physically. They've got access to every camera, computer, and security system in the hotel. We'll have our escort soon enough."

Before she could swallow another sip of her drink, a large well dressed young man entered the room. Chance knew a criminal when he saw one, even if it was a criminal in an Armani suit. As the man approached them, Dru stood up to greet him. e He took his eyes off the man for just a moment to get a better look at her in that dress. Dru greeted the man with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek.

"Grigori! Wonderful to see you again." Her tone had changed completely. A perfect mixture of politeness with an edge of sexy. This girl was an actress.

"The pleasure is mine Ms. Cordova." Russian accent. "Ivan has asked me to escort you personally." He looked in Chance's direction. "And your friend?"

Dru gestured to Chance. "Grigori Dyachenko, this is Christopher Lyons. He's an old friend and business associate of mine. Grigori is an associate of Mr. Ukanov."

"Dyachenko?" Guerrero's voice. "Haven't come across him in a while. Thought he was still in Belgrade."

The man offered his hand and a greeting, and by the grip of the shake Chance knew that 'business associate' was an understatement at best. This man was muscle, but not your average bodyguard. By the way he carried himself Chance could tell that this man was pretty high up the chain. He had been expecting an average goon, and wondered at the way Dru seemed to be at such ease with this man who was obviously well connected.

Dyachenko gestured toward the doorway leading to the lobby and the elevators. "Please." Dru headed towards the door and Chance followed, taking full advantage of the view of her walking ahead. Her hair swayed against her bare back as her long lean legs navigated through the room. Those hips… that ass. 'Enough of that,' he told himself. 'Russian bad guy behind you. Check her out later.'

Dyachenko steered them to the private penthouse elevator, and entered a code into a pin pad beside the doors. The opened immediately. The three of them stepped in and turned as the door closed behind them. As they rode up the many floors to the penthouse, Chance half listened to Dru making small talk with the Russian. Apparently they'd spent some time together in French Polynesia. Who the hell had Guerrero set him up to work with? He planned on asking him as soon as he could get out of earshot. The elevator stopped and the doors opened onto the hallway of the penthouse.


	3. Chapter 3

3

As Dru rode up the elevator the feeling in her stomach intensified. 'Reel it in Dru,' she told herself, 'it's all good.' She couldn't believe she was actually getting the jitters. 'Nothing to worry about, just drinks with old friends.' As she smiled and flirted politely with Grigori, she started to feel like herself again. Or, more accurately, the person she had to be tonight. The person she used to be. Besides, she had backup. 'Shit.' That thought almost made her jitters return. If Chance pulled a John Wayne tonight, everything she had worked for could get flushed down the toilet. But G had promised her.

"He can be a pain in the ass, but he's not gonna blow this one. I have full faith in you. You can handle him." G wouldn't set her up to fail. So far so good. He looked amazing in the Hartmarx, that was for sure. It wasn't off the rack either, it was custom. Off the rack probably wouldn't have hung right, with those broad shoulders and that wide chest. Looked like he was pretty muscular too….

The elevator opened into the foyer, and Dru could hear the sounds of a party coming from down the hall. She excused herself and Chance from Grigori, and turned to Chance when he was out of earshot.

"Follow my lead, ok? I take it you know how to conduct yourself here?"

Chance chuckled. "Oh ya, I'm fully house trained."

Dru glared at him. "Seriously, this isn't a game."

Chance smiled at her. "Of course it is." He began to head toward the sounds of the party.

"Where do you think…" she started after him. The penthouse was filled with the rich and impeccably dressed. Some faces Dru recognized, some she didn't. She began to work the room, saying her hellos to those she knew. She introduced Chance, and Guerrero provided him intel on the ear bud.

"Christopher Lyons, - Hans De Vries. Hans and I have known each other for years. He owns a property management company in the Netherlands." ('De Vries has a piece of the majority of the brothels in the Redlight District in Amsterdam. City councilors have been trying to indict him on money laundering charges')

"Bayani Ablasa, this is Christopher Lyons, a friend and associate of mine." ('Ablasa runs one of the largest mail order bride services in the Phillipines. Suspected of international human trafficking and ties to the drug trade.')

As she headed towards the back of the room Dru felt a hand on her shoulder. "Drusilla my darling, it's been far too long." Dru turned and found herself face to face with Ivan Ukanov.

In his early 40s, Ivan was darkly handsome and as fit as a man 20yrs his junior. His voice was deep yet melodic with its Russian accent, and when leaned in to kiss her he whispered in her ear. "RAdost' moyA." The kiss fell on what could still be considered her cheek, but was in close proximity to her lips. Ivan placed his hand on her shoulder, and ran it down her arm. "You look fantastic."

"As do you, always. Ivan, let me introduce you to my friend, the one I told you about. This is Christopher Lyons. Christopher, Ivan Ukanov. "

Ukanov turned to Chance and shook his hand graciously. "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Lyons."

"Please, call me Christopher."

"Well Christopher, if what Drusilla tells me is correct, I'm sure we can do business together. I like to throw a little get together before entering into a new business venture. It gives everyone a chance to get acquainted. Please, enjoy the party."

Chance seemed completely at ease here, and this put Dru more at ease herself. He regarded Ivan casually. "Thank you, I appreciate your hospitality."

"May I borrow Drusilla for just a moment? It's been quite a while since I've had the pleasure of being in her company."

Chance gestured toward her. "Of course. I'll just get myself a drink." She watched Chance head toward the bar. She turned back to Ivan, and smiled a small but sweet smile.

"How've you been Ivan?"

Ivan moved closer to Dru and caressed the hair lying over her shoulder. "Very well, I must say. And yourself? You have kept yourself quite scarce the past year or so." With Ivan this close her her, Dru felt a mixture of emotions, some old and some new. Most tinged with disgust that this man was so close to her, touching her.

"I've been well. Just busy with other business."

"Is that the only reason?" He looked into her eyes. "I'd hate to think that I was losing you Drusilla. You know how I value your..friendship." Some of her hair was now wrapped around his fingers, and it felt as if his grip was tightening. 'Friendship,' she thought, 'is that what you called it when I was 13?' But outwardly she continued smiling, and raised her hand to his cheek.

"You could never lose me Ivan ,you know that. We will always be friends. I will always be a part of your life." His grip on her hair loosened and his body relaxed.

"I'm sorry my dear. You know how I get sometimes." Yes, she certainly did. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek again. "It's just that I've missed you."

She raised her eyebrows and replied jokingly "Don't let your future bride hear that!"

Ivan laughed and grabbed a two glasses of champagne from a passing tray. "Ah, yes. I was wondering when that would come up." Dru sipped her champagne and her smile turned more mischievous.

"Are you kidding? The illustrious Ivan Ukanov is finally settling down after all of these years? You thought I'd let that one slide?"

Ivan opened his mouth to speak, and then his eyes were drawn back down the marble hallway. A Large door, presumably to the bedroom, had opened, and out walked a young blonde, not a day over 22. She was dressed in a pink Valentino gown, and was practically dripping in platinum and diamonds. She looked more like she was going to the Oscars than a cocktail party. She was absolutely beautiful. Her green eyes scanned the room until she saw Ivan, and she flashed him a million dollar smile. Then she bit the corner of her lip like a child, and gestured him over.

"Ah, there is my princess, and it looks like she needs me." He turned back to Dru. "We will catch up later?" Dru touched his arm lightly.

"Of course. Go tend to your sweetheart." She watched as Ivan walked off, and followed the young woman into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. She looked around for Chance and muttered "Just had a visual on Ashley."

Guerrero passed the word on to Chance, who met Dru back where he had left her. "I saw her. Master bedroom."

Chance had observed the scene between Dru and Ukanov from across the room, while sipping his drink and helping himself to h'orderves from the sideboard. He had smirked inwardly when Ukanov called her "Drusilla," and couldn't wait to make fun of her about it later. Then Ukanov had planted that kiss on her, and all humor had gone out of the window for a moment. Watching that monster kiss her had ignited a spark of anger inside of him, but he wasn't quite sure why. Was it just a protective instinct? She was his makeshift partner after all, and Ukanov was a scumbag by all accounts.

Guerrero hadn't needed to chime in with a profile on Ukanov; Chance had already done his homework. Ukanov was the reason he was here. He was the prince of one of Russia's lower level organized crime families, second in command to his father, Yuri Ukanov. Over the last few years, with Ivan taking over more of the business from his father, the Ukanovs were moving up in the ranks. The family had a presence in Tel Aviv, Berlin, Miami, New York, and many other large cities across the globe, as well as ties to other families in the Czech Republic, New Zealand, and South Africa to name a few. The list had gone on, but Chance had just skimmed it. He got the picture.

The Ukanovs made the their money the way that most of the Bratva do, drug trafficking, murder for hire, prostitution, racketeering, etc. About 30yrs back they had gotten heavy into human trafficking, kidnapping and tricking girls into sexual slavery and moving them around the globe. Chance had detected that theme in the room. Most of the people here had their hand in some sort of prostitution. Ivan had perfected the operation, and most of the family's growth had to do with his ventures in this area.

When Theodore Fairbanks had come to see him about getting his daughter back, Chance had assumed she had been kidnapped and sold into slavery. He hadn't been prepared for what he had heard.

"Ivan Ukanov is engaged to my daughter."


End file.
